On Earth as it is in Heaven

 

 

Scripture

 Matthew 6:9-13

⁹ “Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name.
¹⁰     Your kingdom come.
    Your will be done,
        on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹     Give us this day our daily bread.
¹²     And forgive us our debts,
        as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³     And do not bring us to the time of trial,
        but rescue us from the evil one.  (NRSV)

Devotion

I love photos that show the places where land and sky come together in unique ways.   For, such images take on a spiritual quality as I reflect on the way the ways Earth and Heaven meet.  Prayer is one of those places; each time we pray, we are ask God's spirit to cross or even remove the perceived barrier between Earth and Heaven.

We often like to think of prayers as being spiritually-focused things that draw our hearts and minds up to God's heavenly throne.  There are times when it is helpful to think about leaving our earthly bonds behind for the bliss of heaven.  That is not all prayers do, though.  They are also meant to call God down to us...to make the Holy One's presence, power, and will made tangible hear on Earth.

The prayer Jesus taught us to pray is very earthly.  When he encouraged us to say, "Give us this day our daily bread," he was referring to the common practice of hiring day laborer.  Such common folk were paid at the end of the day and usually made just enough to cover their food and basic expenses for about 24 hours.  They relied upon that small yet constant, income to stay alive.  Jesus told his followers not to ask for daily bread just for "me" but for "us."  In other words, we are to ask God to continually give each and every person what we need to survive.

Similarly, when Jesus talked about debts and debtors, the language he used often referred to monetary debts.  At the same time, it could refer to someone being indebted to someone else for a favor that was performed or because they needed to "pay off" some offense that they committed against the person.  Jesus told us to ask God to "clear the books" for us and then commit to clearing the books for others. 

All together, the Lord's Prayer doesn't beg God to take us up to heaven.  Instead, it asks God to bring heaven down to Earth...to transform our world into a place where God's will is truly done and all people come to know God's justice, mercy, and love.  If God's kingdom comes and God's will is done on Earth, no one will horde resources at the expense of others and everyone will both contribute what they can and receive what the need.  It will be a world where forgiveness is freely given and graciously accepted...a world where everyone is free to live, love, and grow alongside one another as we praise God's name.

That perfect world that Jesus taught us to pray for is also the world that Che tasked his Church with building.  Around the globe, Christians help God's kingdom come and will be done by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, seeking justice for the oppressed, etc.  These earthly tasks are a tangible sign that God's kingdom is indeed growing in our midst.  Whether Christ is working through people in Tanzania who offer their own crops and livestock for the work of God's church or churches in Chicago that pay off the medical debt of strangers, we can be assured that God blesses our attempts to do Chris'ts will on Earth--just as it is done in heaven.  What a blessing it is to know that God is working through us and others to bring about the kingdom for which we pray! 

The next time you pray the Lord's Prayer, I encourage you to pause after each request and reflect upon how God's Spirit calls us the Church to help fulfill it.  Where can we see God's will being done here on Earth, and how can we aid in that work?  As we ponder these things, let us never forget that we are not alone.  Christ's church is spread all around the globe; through Christ we do this work together.  And with his power behind us, we know that the Holy Spirit will bless our efforts as we do our part to help God's kingdom come.

Prayer 

Today's prayer is "Baba Yetu" which is Christopher Tin's Grammy Award setting of the Lord's Prayer in Swahili.  You can choose between two different versions.

Option 1: The Dar es Salaam Gospel Choir in Tanzania

 

Option 2: A compilation of performances in honor of the piece's 15th anniversary